Annual Town Meeting
Harvard’s Annual Town Meeting will take place Saturday, April 6, beginning at 9 a.m. in the Bromfield School gymnasium. The Harvard Report booklet, with department and committee reports, the proposed 2014 town budget, and Town Meeting warrant articles, is available online at www.harvard.ma.us.
Hard copies are at Town Hall and the library and will be available to Town Meeting. Participation at Town Meeting is open to all Harvard residents who are registered to vote.
Baby-sitting for school-aged children during Annual Town Meeting will be provided in the Bromfield library, beginning at 8:45 a.m. Children should bring a bag with a snack, a water bottle, and some activities.
Wednesday is last day to register before election
The last day to register to vote for the April 30 Town Election and Special State Primary or to change party affiliation for the primary is Wednesday, April 10. The Town Clerk’s office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Library book sale is changing location
The Friends of the Library’s annual book sale is changing location. The book collection and sale will be at the new library on Pond Road. Because of limited space this year, people are asked to bring only books in good condition—no encyclopedias, magazines, broken or moldy books, VHS tapes, or cassette tapes.
Books can be left at the main entrance of the new Harvard Public Library—not the old library—on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon, April 13 until May 4. The sale will be Saturday and Sunday, May 11 and 12, with a preview sale Friday evening, May 10 for Friends of the Library members who are Harvard residents.
All proceeds from the sale go to support the Harvard Public Library to fund children’s programs, Friends of the Arts performances, and free museum passes, among many other services.
Got shelves? To donate functional, unwanted book shelves, leave a message for Chris Frechette at 978-456-4114.
Elderly and Disabled Tax Fund needs donors
With only $6,430 in donations so far this year, Harvard’s Elderly and Disabled Taxation Fund is a long way from its $20,000 goal, and just halfway to the $12,720 collected in 2012. The application deadline for help with fiscal year 2014 tax bills is May 31, when the Taxation Aid Committee will begin to allocate the funds on hand. Applicants are notified of their aid amount in mid-June; the first FY14 tax payment is due in August. According to Town Treasurer Debbie Nutter, who serves on the aid committee, the fund helped six elderly or disabled residents in 2012, paying the entire FY13 tax bill for some and a percentage of the bill for others. Nutter said the number of applicants is fairly consistent from year to year, and that almost everyone who asks for help gets some assistance.
The fund was established in 2002 to help townspeople with limited income and assets who struggle to pay property tax bills. Requirements for eligibility are listed on the “For Our Residents” page of the town website, www.harvard.ma.us.
Donations in any amount are welcome. If every household contributed just $10, the fund would easily reach its goal. Checks should be made out to the Elderly and Disabled Taxation Fund and mailed to Town Hall, 13 Ayer Road, Harvard, MA 01451.
Marcus Lewis Tennis to run town program
The Harvard Parks & Recreation Commission (HPRC) has partnered with the Marcus Lewis Tennis Center (MLTC) to offer tennis instruction to both children and adults this coming spring and summer.
The MLTC has proven to be a leader in the sport, and Harvard residents will now have easy access to their high level of expertise, according to HPRC member John Lee. His organization has been looking to expand its tennis program, he says, and believes it has found the answer in the MLTC organization,
Classes this spring will be offered during an eight-week session. Instruction will be available on Saturday mornings for children (from 4 to 14 years old) and on Sunday mornings for adults. If a resident is unable to find a class that works for his/her schedule, the MLTC will try to find a solution: We are specialists at creating customized solutions for our players. If an interested party cannot attend a class that is posted on the schedule, then we start working right away on building a new class for that player,” said Lewis
The MLTC will have a daily option for kids weekdays in the summer. “We call it our Mini-Camp whereby kids come Monday through Thursday for a 1 to 1.5 hour lesson,” Lewis said. Details for all classes can be found at www.marcuslewistenniscenter.com/rec_harvard.html.
Not Town Meeting fireworks
Fort Devens will be conducting MK19 fire training exercises Friday through Sunday, April 5 through April 7.
